Tag: clean

No matter how hard we try, we all have a little bit of clutter in our home. Now, that’s pretty normal, but what’s not normal is having all that stuff piling up and taking over our house. If you’re in the need for a good purge and spring clean, then here’s a list of some things that you can get rid of right away and not feel bad about it!

Expired Food

There’s literally zero reasons as to why you would keep expired food around your home. It’s useless and if your kid accidently eat it, they can get pretty sick. So check your fridge, pantry, and cupboards and get rid of anything passed its date!

Fabric Scraps

Some scraps are good to keep, others not so much. I would suggest finding a fun craft project online that you can do that involves using all those extra fabric scraps. If not, then recycle them so you can clean things out.

Unread Books

If you bought a book three years ago and still haven’t even cracked it open, then you’re probably not going to anytime soon. Go ahead and donate it to a library or thrift store or give it to a friend or family member that would read it.

Old Clothes

As time wears on, your clothes will wear out. They’ll get old, ratty, or maybe have an accident. If you have some clothes you don’t wear (or can’t wear), then get rid of them. You can turn them into rags or, if they’re in good enough condition, donate them somewhere.

Magazines

You can keep a few around for your guests to read, but get rid of the rest. You can easily recycle them (or put them in the compost, if compatible), so there’s no excuse for having magazines taking over your home.

Cords for Forgotten Electronics

Everyone seems to be getting a new phone every four months, and with them come new chargers. Go through all the cords and wires you have for your electronics and get rid of any that you don’t use anymore.

Unfixed Furniture

While that ottoman with three legs may, one day, look great in your living room, if you haven’t fixed it by now then you probably won’t be getting to it. Get rid of the broken furniture to save space and clean clutter.

Partnerless Things

Whether it’s a shoe, sock, earring, or something else, if you haven’t seen its partner in a while, then you’re probably safe to get rid of it. You won’t be wearing just one shoe, so it’s pointless to keep partnerless things around.

Unopened Recipe Books

For those recipe books that you never use, just donate them somewhere or give them to a friend. If you have one or two recipes in it you like, take a picture or write them down somewhere, and then get rid of the rest of the book.

Instruction Manuals

Pretty much everything is online now, including instruction manuals and handbooks. So, recycle those physical copies and, if you ever need the instructions, just pull them up online.

Broken Kitchen Utensils

There’s really no point in having a broken whisk or jammed salad spinner at home. If you’ve tried to fix them and they’re still not working, just get rid of them. They’re not worth the frustration of keeping them around.

Expired Makeup and Toiletries

Let’s be real—you’re probably not going to put makeup on your face that expired two or three years ago. So, instead of just letting them take up space at home, get rid of them and clear things up!

Receipts

I would only keep receipts for accounting purposes or if they’re for a big item that you can only return with a receipt. However, your average grocery receipt can probably go in the garbage soon after you come home.

Boxes

Keep a few boxes around for presents or storing things, but then get rid of the rest. I would say keep a two or three of each size (small, medium, and large) and purge yourself of all the others. If you need boxes in the future, they’re not too hard to get a hold of.

Worn Down Candles

I don’t know about you guys, but for some reason I always keep my nearly empty candle jars around. Even when their wicks won’t light anymore, I just store them away. If you’re like me, then kick the habit and get rid of any word down candles.

Unused Takeout Menus

It’s nice and convenient to have a restaurant’s takeout menu at home, but if you haven’t look at it in a few weeks or months, then you’re probably safe to get rid of it. Plus, most restaurants have their menus online now as well.

Containers with Missing Lids

Plastic container lids always seem to mysteriously disappear around my house. If you’re in the same boat, then do an inventory of your containers and get rid of any that are missing lids. You’re never going to use those containers anymore.

Useless Pens and Pencils

Why keep broken pencils or empty pens around? There’s no reason, really. So, if you try to write with one and it keeps on breaking or doesn’t have any ink, then just get rid of it!

Incomplete Games

While playing games is always fun, it can be frustrating if you’re missing a piece or two. If possible, make a replacement for the missing piece. If not, just get rid of the game because you can’t play it anymore.

Untouched Spices

Not everyone likes every flavor of spice that exists. That’s totally fine. So if you’ve found that you and your family all avoid cumin or Italian seasoning, then just get rid of the spice or get it to a friend.

Out of Date Medicine

If you’re lucky, then you have to take medicine on a rare basis. Because of that, it’s pretty easy for medicine to expire and go out of date without realizing it. So, check your medicine cabinet and get rid of any medicine that isn’t good anymore. Follow disposal guidelines for the medicine.

Old Paint

Don’t just let that old paint sit in the back of your garage, taking up space and becoming a safety hazard. If there’s no way to revive the paint, then get rid of it. Paint needs to be taken to a hazardous waste facility in order to be disposed of properly.

Cheesy Knick-knacks

You don’t need to keep around those cheesy Hawaii hula girls or oddly colored stacking dolls. If you have some knickknacks around your home that are silly or don’t fit your home’s theme, then go ahead and get rid of it.

Unloved Toys

While a toy may have been a family favorite a few years ago, it may be unloved and forgotten about these days. If so, don’t feel bad about getting rid of it. You can give it to another owner or get rid of it however you feel necessary.

Purses

I know so many women who keep all of their old purses. Once you’ve bought a new purse, just go ahead and get rid of the old one. If it’s still in good condition, you can donate it or give it to the thrift store.

Broken or Unused Sports Equipment

Don’t let broken hockey sticks, deflated soccer balls, and dull tennis rackets just build up in the corner of your home. Go through them, find the ones that work or are worth salvaging, and then get rid of the rest.

Old Calendars

Once the year is over, you don’t need to hold on to those old calendars. Keep them around when they’re useful and then recycle them when you’re done.

Kids’ Artwork

Hang your kids’ artwork on the fridge for a few weeks and then slowly work it off. If you have tubs full of your kids artwork (and your kids are all grown up), consider getting rid of it. If not, you can also scan the art and then recycle the physical copies. It takes up less space and is a lot easier to enjoy!

Old video games

Video game graphics change so quickly and they’re easy to outgrow of, too. If you have old computer games sitting around the house or outdated games that your kids don’t play anymore, then get rid of them! Especially if you don’t have the console.

Unused Loyalty Cards

Loyalty cards can be great. So great, in fact, that we tend to collect them but never really use them. For those of you who have a stash of unused loyalty cards, go through them and get rid of the ones you haven’t used in a while.

Expired Coupons

Collecting coupons is nice, but it’s easy to let them expire without noticing. If you have a coupon collection, make sure they’re still all valid, and recycle the rest that you can’t use.

Jewelry you Don’t Wear

Having a ton of jewelry can actually be pretty stressful because they get tangled in each other and can cause a mess. Everyone has jewelry that they prefer over others, so donate the rest or give it to a friend or family member.

Maternity/Baby Clothes

If you’re certain that you won’t be getting pregnant anymore and won’t have any more kids, then there’s no point in keeping baby and maternity clothes around. You probably know someone in your family or circle of friends that is planning on having kids, so give the clothes to them!

CDs

Nowadays, everything is done online and recorded in computers. So. Upload your CDs to your computer and get rid of the bulky CDs. You won’t take up any physical space but you’ll have all the music at your fingertips.

Old Towels

My family really likes to use towels until they’re falling apart. I suggest not doing that, because it’s not good for your skin and it’s not good for impressing your guests. Instead, turn them into rags or donate them to an animal shelter.

Broken or Extra Hangers

Don’t hassle with broken hangers. They’re cheap, so if the hanger is taped together or broken, just get rid of it and get new hangers. Also, if you have more hangers than you’ll ever need, give them to a friend in need or donate them to a thrift store.

Dried Nail Polish

You can try to revive the nail polish, but that doesn’t always work. If your resuscitation attempt failed, just get rid of the dried up nail polish. There’s no point in keeping it around.

Old Paperwork

Whether it’s old class assignments, papers from work, or something else, most of your old paperwork can go right into the recycling bin. There are some things you’ll want to keep around for budgeting and accounting purposes, but everything else can go.

Old Bedding

Don’t hassle with old bedding that doesn’t fit the mattress and is worn and stained. Turn some of it into rags, and then get rid of the rest. You’ll save yourself time and be less frustrated this way!

Worn Down Pillows

There is a correct way to take care of and revive pillows, but some are just old and need to be tossed. If you’ve done your part to keep your pillows in good condition but they’re just old, then go ahead and get rid of them.

Invitations and Cards

I have people in my family who keep every single birthday card, wedding announcement, and graduation invitation that they’ve ever received. I think it’s a little bit much. Keep the ones that really mean something to you (like close family) and get rid of the rest.

Useless Art Supplies

Hardened markers, dried up glue, broken crayons—these are all things that you can get rid of from your arts and craft supplies. Do your best to take care of them so they don’t get ruined in the first place, but some just need to go.